Reciprocating power mower, steered by walking attendant



3 Sheets-Sheet l *3 a S Q Inn mm.

a, J/flew r E 914% arrai/vir l ll /Jinn K. J. KLENK RECIPROCATING POWER MOWER, STEERED BY WALKING ATTENDANT Filed Feb. 10, 1951 Feb. 9, 1954 K. J. KLENK 2,668,408

RECIPROCA'IIING POWER MOWER, STEERED BY WALKING ATTENDANT Filed Feb. '10, 1951 .'5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. .452 .I/sxwr K. J. KLENK 2,668,408 RECIPROCATING POWER MOWER, STEERED BY WALKING ATTENDANT Feb. 9, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 10. 1951 v INVENTOR. A7904 JAQEIV/f -BY 2 We gram 5y Patented Feb. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES D F FlC -E 2$668A0B RECi'PRoCAT-INGQQWERMQWEE,SPI EERED BY WALKING ATTENDANT Kai! Klenk, Wilmington, 061.

Application Februarylo, 1951, SeriaLNo'. 210,360

(Cl. "EU- 265) "7 claims. 1

The invention herein disclosed relatesto a new type of mowing machine embodying a power driven tractor and sickle arranged to be guided and controlled by one walking and following the same.

Special objects of the invention are toprovide a practical machine of this character which will be under instant control of the walker at ;all times and which will adjust itself or be instantly adjustable to varying conditions of vegetation or contour. I

Particularly it is a purpose of the invention to enable immediate control for stopping and starting and changing direction of movement and to effect lifting or lowering of the cutter bar to avoid rocks or other obstructions, and which while powerful and sturdy for all intended purposes, will be light enough and flexible in character to accomplish all such results without undue strain.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate a. present commercial embodiment of the invention. Structure and.

arrangement, however, may be 'modified and changed, all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafterdefined. and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawings is a side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged. composite view partly in section, showing two of the adjoining hollowmetal links of the tractor chain in separated relation;

Fig. 3 is a generally similar View showing the two links hingedly connected;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of two of the pivotally connected links as on substantially the plane of line 6-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged broken side elevation of the connected links;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken vertical sectional view showing one pair of the pivotaliy mounted chain supporting rollers;

Fig. '7 is a broken and part sectional plan view is on substantially the plane of line 1-1 of Fig. 8. is-a broken. verticalsectional view on substantially theplaneot'. line 8-8 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged broken sectional detail of the V- 'belt drive.

Basically the invention involves a single, forwardly running tractor chain l5 operating over forward and rear rolls i6, 11,,jou-rnaled in an upright frame l:8- -carry;ing, a laterally projecting sickle type cutter bar [9, all driven from a motor 26 andcontrolled by handles 2 l ,22, in convenient grasp of an. individual walking behind the machine. I

The.-motor isshewn driving by belt 23, pulley 24 onshaft --2-5 journaledon the staif or lever 26 of the handle-21'.

The shaft 25 is shown in Fig. 8 as carrying a pulley 2.1 over which a belt 28. passes to a pulley 29- on the lower shaft 30.

This. lower shaft 3-0, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, carries-a sprocketvgear' 3i over which a chain 32.

runs toa sprocket. 3-3' on the shaft 34 carrying av crank 35 for the pitman. 36. connected at 3'! with the reciprocating. cutter bar-38 of the sickle.

The-lower, jack shaft 30 shown disposed longitudinally of themachine at the side of and substantially parallel with the. tractor chain and journaled solidly in: an elongated fore-and-aft bearing 39 so that it may be utilized as a pivot mounting for the handle lever 26 which, as shown in Fi'gstl and 7, has two spaced branches 40, 4|, terminating in bearing hubs 4'2, 43, pivoted to rock over the-shaft 30.

The motor is shown mounted on a shelf or bracket i tcarri'ed byand projecting inwardly from the handle lever 26 over the top of the tractor so that the entire p'ower unit and drive mechanism will rock with the hand lever about the supporting center 30, Fig. 8'.

To secure the power and drive unit in any selected' angular relation, a holding pawl 45 is provided, engageable'with the teethof a fixed quadrant 4'6 Fig. 8, this paw-l being sl-idingly mounted on hand lever-26 and connected by rod 4! witha grip lever 48 below the handle 2i, Fig. 1, and thus inposition to'be actuated at any time by the hand gripping the handle.

'I hed'ri ve of the tractor is effected in the illus tration through a bevel pinion 49 on the front end' of sh'aft 38-, in engagement with a bevel gear I 56- on a shaft 51 journal-ed transversely across the tractor frame l8 and carrying V-belt pulleys 52 for the three V-belts sscp ratmg in v-grooves in the from: drive wheel l6; beneath the tractor chain;

With this arrangement the overriding tractor chain holds the belts in firmly gripping engagement with the drive wheel I6.

At the other end, however, the belts have a slipping engagement over the pulleys 52 and are ripped to these pulleys only when it is desired to have the machine in motion.

These results are attained by means of an overstanding roll 54 journaled at 55 in the arms of a forked lever 55, Figs. 1 and '7, which lever is pivotally supported on the frame at 5'! and is connected by a link 58 with a bell crank 53 pivoted at 60 on the upstanding lever 6| which carries the handle 22, the other arm of the bell crank being connected by rod 62 with a hand lever 63 swiveled at 64 in forwardly projecting relation on the cross handle 22.

It will be observed in Fig. 1 that lifting movement on the hand lever 53 will pull up on rod 52 to cause the bell crank 59 to thrust the link 58 forward with the latter then operating to thrust the roll carrying lever 56 downwardly and the roll 54 in lowering engagement with the V-belts.

Hand lever 63 may thus be used as a clutch control to effect tightening of the V-belts on the driving pulleys 52 to efiect drive of the tractor chain.

Lowering movement of handle 63 will effect an unclutching operation, leaving the V-belts free of driving pulleys 52.

Hence by control of lever 63 the machine may be started and stopped at will of the operator.

The parts are preferably so adjusted that some lifting effort on lever 63 is required to keep the machine in operation, so that the machine will instantly stop of itself if this control pressure is released at any time.

The machine is easily steered by means of the two handle 2| and 22 and through the medium of the controls located on these handles, the machine can be instantly stopped or the relative angularity of the two handles varied to suit changing contour or other conditions.

By releasing the latch 45 from quadrant #36, Fig. 8, the handle lever 26 may be'inclined laterally one way or the other in respect to the handle lever 6| which is fixed to the tractor frame [8. This adjustment may be eflected to keep the motor and its drive gearing relatively level while the tractor may rock one way or the other, as for down hill or up hill operation of the sickle projecting out from the side of the tractor.

Fig. 8 shows how the sickle mechanism is carried by the finger bar 65 projecting rigidly from the bottom of the tractor frame through the transverse opening 56 provided in this frame for the operation of the pitman 36.

Stops 6"! and 68 are shown in Fig. 8 at opposite ends of the quadrant to limit the relative rocking adjustment of hand lever 26, these being engageable by the guide 69 on the lever through which the latch pawl 45 slidingly operates.

For motor stopping purposes a hand lever it is shown in Fig. 8 pivoted to rock about the center 25 and carrying a short circuiting strip H for engagement with the spark plug 72 of the engine.

This handle is within convenient reach of the hand on the motor carrying lever 2% so that at any time the motor can be instantly stopped by simply reaching down with this hand and throwing the handle over into the motor stopping position.

The chainl5 is of special construction to hold the V-belts on the drive wheel and toafiord all necessary traction over rough as well as smooth ground.

Figs. 2 to 5 show how this chain is made up '4 of hollow sheet metal links having parallel sides 13 connected by fiat webs 14 which at one end have outwardly projecting transverse V-bends 15.

At one end the sides of the links are outwardly bushed at 16 to provide tubular projections, and at the opposite ends ofiset outwardly to provide the angular bayonet joint grooves Tl sized to slidingly and pivotally receive the projecting hub portions 16 of adjoining links.

The embossed hubs l6 and the embossed channels H receiving the same are both perforated at 18 to accommodate bolts, rivets or like pivotal connections 19.

With this construction, broken or worn links may be quickly and easily replaced.

The V-belts gripped between the drive wheel i6 and surrounding chain provide a yielding clutch connection holding the chain against slipping on the wheel and, when driven by pulleys 52, imparting drive by direct engagement with the overstanding web portions of the links.

The lower run of the chain is shown in Fig. 1 as supported between the front and rear wheels, at opposite sides of the projecting cutter bar, by front and rear pairs of rolls 8%! and 81 journaled in rockers 82, 83, pivoted at 8 85, between the parallel side walls 86 of the tractor frame.

The slack adjusters 81, Fig. 1, for the front wheel enable adjustments required for maintaining the belts 53 loose on the driving pulleys until tensioned by the holddown roller 54, and the take-up adjusters 88 for the rear wheel ailow for the first adjustments and then can be set up for proper tensioning of the tractor chain over the two wheels.

By means of the laterally spaced handles the machine may be easily guided and rocked one way or the other to lift or lower the cutter bar. By rocking backward on the handles the front end of the machine may be raised and in such position the machine may be turned and completely reversed in direction of movement.

The motor and drive mechanism mounted on the pivoted handle 26 at one side of the frame, to a large extent balances the sickle mechanism projecting from the opposite side of the frame, making the machine easily maneuver-able with out much effort on the part of the operator. To ofiset the weight of the motor, supporting handle and gearing to the side of the tractor opposite that from which the cutter projects, the bearing 39 carrying the handle pivoting shaft 35 is shown in Figs. 7 and 8 as carried by a laterally projecting bracket 89, forming a transverse projection of the main tractor frame l8.

The hollow chain links assembled as indicated form, in effect, a continuous flexible channel hugging the drive wheel and the V-belts passing about the same. The interfitting embossments at the ends of these links are of sufficient size and strength to carry the full load of the belt so that the pivotal connections 19 may be relatively light, serving mainly just to prevent separation of the links.

What is claimed is:

l. A power mower of the character disclosed comprising a single tractor chain, a sickle type cutter projecting from one side of said chain, a motor mounted for driving said tractor chain and cutter, a pair of handles for guiding said mower, control means for the mower adjoining said handles, a supporting frame for the tractor chain and cutter connected with one of said handles, the other handle being pivotally connected with said frame and supporting said motor, and drive connections from said motor to said cutter and including a shaft carrying a drive gear, the pivotal mounting for said handle being concentric with said shaft and whereby angular adjustments of said handle will not affect the driving connections from said motor to said cutter.

2. A power mower comprising a frame, front and rear wheels journaled in said frame, a tractor chain operating over said wheels, a shaft journaled on said frame at one side, a cutter bar carried by said frame and projecting from the other side of the same, a handle pivoted on said frame concentric with said shaft, a motor carried by said handle, drive gearing from said motor to said cutter bar and including said shaft and a companion handle extended upward from said tractor frame.

3. A power mower comprising a frame, front and rear wheels journaled in said frame, a tractor chain operating over said wheels, a shaft journaled on said frame at one side, a cutter bar carried by said frame and projecting from the other side of the same, a handle pivoted on said frame concentric with said shaft, a motor carried by said handle, drive gearing from said motor to said cutter bar and including said shaft and a companion handle extended upward from said tractor frame and quick releasable means for adjustably securing said motor carrying handle in various angularly adjusted positions.

4. A power mowing machine of the character disclosed comprising a tractor frame having a guiding handle, a tractor chain operating in said frame, a companion handle pivotally mounted on said tractor frame at one side of the same, cutter mechanism projecting from the opposite side of said tractor frame, a motor carried by said pivotally supported handle and drive connections from said motor to said projecting cutter mechanism, including a power driven shaft concentric with the pivotal mounting center of said motor supporting handle.

5. A power mowing machine of the character disclosed comprising a tractor frame having a guiding handle, a tractor chain operating in said frame, a companion handle pivotally mounted on said tractor frame at one side of the same, cutter mechanism projecting from the opposite side of said tractor frame, a motor carried by said pivotally supported handle and drive connections from said motor to said projecting cutter mechanism, including a power driven shaft concentric with the pivotal mounting center of said motor supporting handle and detent mechanism for releasably securing said pivotally supported, motor carrying handle in difierent selected angular positions relative to said tractor frame handle.

6. A power mowing machine of the character disclosed comprising a tractor frame having a guiding handle, a tractor chain operating in said frame, a companion handle pivotally mounted on said tractor frame at one side of the same, cutter mechanism projecting from the opposite side of said tractor frame, a motor carried by said pivotally supported handle and drive connections from said motor to said projecting cutter mechanism, including a power driven shaft concentric with the pivotal mounting center of said motor supporting handle and drive connections from said motor to said tractor chain including controllable clutch means.

7. A power mower comprising a tractor frame, a motor frame pivotally mounted at one sideof said tractor frame, laterally spaced handles on said tractor frame and motor frame usable in the nature of plow handles for guiding and controlling the machine, a tractor chain operating in said tractor frame, a motor carried by said pivotally mounted motor frame, drive connections from said motor to said tractor chain, a reciprocating cutter projecting from the tractor frame at the opposite side of the pivotal mounting of the motor frame and drive connections from the motor to said reciprocating cutter and including a jack shaft common to the drive connections to both the tractor chain and the reciprocating cutter and disposed in concentric relation to the pivotal mounting of the motor frame and whereby said motor frame may be swung by the handle thereon about the center of the pivotal mounting without disturbing the drive from the motor to the tractor chain and reciprocating cutter.

KARL J. KLENK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date 1,950,748 Rimple Mar. 13, 1934 1,952,174 Leake Mar. 27, 1934 2,282,238 Newton May 5, 1942 2,523,171 Willey Sept. 19, 1950 2,541,177 Slemmons Feb. 13, 1951 2,555,881 Grangroth et a1. June 5, 1951 2,584,512 Strait Feb. 5, 1952 

